Fraud-preventive mechanism for cigar-vending machines.



No. 811,895. PAIENTED JAN. 30, I906.

J. HEINRICH, J. SCHMIDT & U. L. ETHERIDGE. FRAUD PREVENTIVE MECHANISM FOR GIGAR VENDING MACHINES.

APPLIOATION I'ILED APR.3, 1905.

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No. 811,895 PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

J. HEINRICH, J. SCHMIDT & G. L. ETHERIDGE. FRAUD PREVENTIVE MECHANISM FOR GIGAR VENDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.3, 1905.

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JUHN HFlhllEtlCH, JQHNSCHMIDT, AND UARR'OLL L. ETHERlDGrE, OF

, KANSAS; CITY, MISSOURI.

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no. at ees.

dpecification oil Letters Patent.

Patented Janxldl), 1906.

[lliginal application filed. November 2d, 1904, Eerial No. 284,033. Divided and this application tiled April 8,1905 Serial No. 253,414. l v

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that we, JOHN Hammer-r, Jenn Seminar, and CARROLL L; E'rnnnrnon, citizens of the United States, residing at Kan sas City, in the county of Jackson and State ol Missouri, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Fraud-Preventive ll lechanism for Vending-Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a lull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use. the

same.

The invention which forms the subject of this patent is directed to the production of traudpreventive means for use in novel co operative relation and combinations for pre venting the operation 'of the mechanism by which the delivery of the goods is effected, and in which said means are speciallyadapted for use in a-coin-controlled. machine organized for vending articles, such as cigars, and in the'claims appended hereto the parts and combination of parts which constitute our invention will be specifically pointed out.

The following description'read in connection with the accompanying drawings will enable persons skilled in coin-controlled vend ing-machines to understand and to practice our invention in the term in which we refer to practice it; but it will be understoo that our invention is not limited to the precise form and details of construction herein illus trated and described, as various modifications and changes may be made without ere ceeding the scope of the claims in which our invention is set out.

Referring to the drawings, Flgure 1 shows in vertical elevation a plate fixed to the in ner side wall of a casin or cabinet and can:

position just before being pressed down to unlocflt the plunger. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the plunger as havin been unlocked and the locking device hel in position to L be tripped by the inward movement of the plunger to again lock it when retracted, the trend-preventive meansbeing in their normal positions. Fig. 3 1s a similar elevation the machine by the releasing action of tie plunger in its retracting-movement. Fig. 5 is a like view showing the parts in the positions they occupy when the lead disk has been re leased by the retracting movement of the plunger.

Referring to Fig. 4t, the outline may representthe side wall and the front of the casing or cabinet within which the coin-controlled vending and the fraud-preventive mechan isms are organized, and at the front there of 6 indicates the position of the coin-slot, and a shaft on. which is mounteda-rotatable goods delivery cylinder, which is above including thecoin passages or runwa s and the plunger or push-bar 5 are prefera ly arranged upon and at the inner wall of the in side of the casing or cabinet, and the coinslot' 6 is conveniently located at the side of that part of the casing at which the goods are presented to view. From this coin-slot extends, on a slightly-downward incline, the runway or passage 7 for the nickel or other disk 8, while beneath the cylinder is the plunger, slidably supported within a uide way on the casing wall and has its andactuated end 9. projecting from the front of .the casing. The path of the longer intersects a vertical branch ll) of t re nickel-pas ward movement of the plunger. This inward movementoi the plunger causes the rotation of the delivery-cylinder, and the means for eilecting thisrotation will now be position of the pivoted arm 17 is vertical and is so normally maintained by its lower weighted end, while the pushing action of the upper end of said arm to rotate said wheel is sustained by said step 13 on the plunger. Theupper end 19 of said arm 17 is beveled to allow it to pass freely underthe teeth of the wheel on the retracting movement of the plunger. The plunger is normally locked against inward movement by mechanism comprising a bolt 20, supported by wall guides 21,with its lower end adapted to engage by gravity a shoulder 22 on the upper edge of the plunger, as in Fig. l, to lock it. At its upper end the bolt is connected to one end of a lever 23, pivoted to the wall and having at its other end a pivoted key 24, which stands within an opening in the bottom of the nickel-passage and in its normal or raised position partially closes the entrance to the nickel-slot, as in Fig. 1. We refer to ban and support 'the bolt 20 in a slightly-incline position, so that its lower end will stand in advance of its up er end, and thereby cause its lower end to all back by gravity in the raised position of the bolt to ho d it u out of engagement with the plunger, and orv this purpose the lower end of the bolt has a recess or shoulder by which it is adapted to fall into engagement with a-lug 21 of the bolt-guide, as in Fig. 2. In the locked position of the plunger the nickel-actuated key is lifted by the weight of %he bolt members and heldin position partia ly closing the entrance to the coin-slot, so that the key will receive the coin or other disk and be pressed down by the act of inserting it, forcing'thereby the key down out of the slot to allow the coin to be put into the passage. This depression of the key actuates the bolt members so as to cause the bolt to be raised and release its enga ement with the plunger. In this lifting of the olt its lower en is free to swing back by gravity, and this movement brings its shoulder into engagement with the fixed guide-lug 21 and he ds the bolt in its unlocked position. The

bolt is returned to its normal or lower locked by the locking-shoulder 22 of the plun cr when the latter is pushed inward. In t is engagement of the plunger with the hanging arm of the 'tappet'its 11 per arm 25 is cause to strike the rear edge ethe bolt, and thereby sneer throw or dpush the latter forward, disenga ing its shoul er from the lug and allowing theiolt to drop on the plunger behind its shoulder 22 to lock it whenthe plunger is forced outward by its spring. In this way the plunger will be released from its locked position by a livecent nickel or any similar disk held in the hand of the operatorvto depress the key and allow the plunger to be pushed inward; but this manipulation of the plunger will not cause the movement of the delivery-cylinder, since the latteris provided with looking mechanism which can only be released by a coin of the required character. This cylinderlocking mechanism comprises a lever 27, preferably of bellcrank form, fulcrumed upon a wall-stud 28 at the rear side of the delivery-cylinder. The hanging arm of this lever terminates in a tooth 29, which is adapted to successively enter peri heral notches 30 of a disk 31,.fixed on the cy indershaft to hold the cylinder from rotary movement. A weighted arm ofthe lever 27 insures engagement of its tooth with the notches of the disk at each movement of the cylinder. The coin-passage extends from the front slot to the rear of the casing and is intersected at the limit of the inward movement of the plunger by a vertical branch 10, which terminates in the path of the plunger and extends a short distance rearward in said ath. p The following descri tion will show the cooperating function of t e plunger in its operation of the deliver -cylinder in effecting the release hi the cylinder-locking mechanism only through the instrumentality of the required or proper coin. At a point about the upper rear corner of the intersection of the l vertical with the terminal coin-passage is pivoted a dog 35, which stands toward the inner end of the lunger and terminates in a sharp point 36, w ich hangs in the path of the coin as it drops in the path-of the lunger for a purpose presentlystated. A li 37 connects the free end of the dog with the weighted arm of the bell-crank lever, so that the lifting of the shar point of-the dog by the passage thereun er of the coin in the manner hereinafter described will causesaid weighted arm to be raised by its connected link- 37, and thereby cause the toothed arm 29 of said lever to be withdrawn from its engagement with the notch in the cylinder-disk to permit the cylinder to be turned. The lever is returned by its weighted arm to its normal position against the disk to engage its next notch after the impaling-dog is released. The coin-passage 38 in rear of the dog terminates in a bottom outlet 39, through whichthe proper coin drops into a coin-receiver, (not shown,) and for this purpose this drop-opening 39 is outside of and independent of other passages through which spurious coins or disks pass.

a1 meet The machine can only be operated by genuine nickels, because the nickel having been forced into the nickel slot and drop ed through the vertical passage 10 is arrested in the path of the plunger and supported u on a latch device 40, in which position the p unger is then caused to strike and move the coin beneath the sharp point of the dog, and the nickel being of hard metal will not be pierced or impaled by the point of thedog, but will be forced under it and out of the drop-passage 39, liftin the do in passing beneath it and by such liftin re ease 'the lever-lock of the deliverycylin er. In this ejectment of the genuine nickel the do rides over it and unlocks the cylinder by t 1e direct. action of the plunger, while the coin-actuated bolt de' vice releases the lock of the plunger inad vance of the release of the cylinder-lock to allowthe plunger-arm 17 to engage a tooth of the ratchet-wheel 1'6 to turn the delivery-cylinder to deliver the article. In this operation the latch device serves no other ur ose than to support the nickel in the path of the plunger, and so long as enuine nickels are used the operation of t e machine is unchanged. We have, however, made provision for preventing fraud in o crating the machine w th lead disks, and t us revent the delivery of the goods, and for t is purpose we utilize this latch device, as will now be described. This latch is pivoted to the wallplate at an opening in the bottom of the plunger-guideway and has a lip 41, which stands up and forms astop on which the lead disk is dropped from the vertical assage and sup lines in Fig. 1. A weighted do 42, pivoted to said wall-plate in front of the atch, engages a nose projection 43 of the latch and serves to su port it in position to hold the lead disk in tlde path of the plunger. To move the latch from its disksupporting position by turning it on its pivot toward the front to allow the lead disk to drop through said opening, the latch is provided with a in 44, with which an arm 45, having a note 46, is caused to engage, so as to pull the latch forward by the retracting movement of the plunger, and for this purpose said arm 45 is pivotally connected to the plunger, as in Fig. 3, and acts by gravity to engage the latch. To render this engagement of the arm 45 with the latch-pin 44 certain, the notched end of said arm rests and rides u on said pin, and this end of the arm is held y its weight and a guide-loop 47 upon the pin so that as this arm is drawn out by the plunger the notch in sa'd arm drops over the pin, and thus ulls the latch from under the lead disk. Itwifi thus be seen that a genuine nickel and a lead disk takes the same course,

' as indicated by the arrows in full lines in Fig.

1, and both are arrested by the latch. When, however, the plunger is pushed in, instead of forcing the slug or lead disk rearward under against the s the dogthe lunger will fdrce the lead disk fiarp point of the dog, causing it thereby to penetrate the soft metal, as in Fig. 4, and bind the lead disk in the opening or s ace between its edge and the lip of the latch. This prevents the raising of the dog, and the cylinder-releasing mechanism does not operate, so therecan be no delivery of the goods. Thepushing force of the plunger being at its limit, on its retracting movement the notched arm 45' is thereby drawn into engagement with the pin of thelatch, and the latter is thereby drawn forward, and the lead disk or slug is. released from its support and will drop into the base-passage 48 and pass to the front 34 of said passage. it will be noted that the nose of the latch and the weighted dog have a curved bearing engagement, so that as the latch is pulled back it slides on the end of the dog and depresses said end, so that as the plun er is moved forward the arm 45 is thereby isengaged" and the weighted arm returns to its normal position of rest. At the inner end of the plunger rises a lug 49, which serves as a safety-sto so that if from any cause (as by wire or ot er device) the plunger should be released from. its loclrwithout forcing a genuine nickel in the slot to actuate the plunger-lock the lunger-lug will strike'the dog, but will not ift it when the plunger is pushed in, and thus prevent the operation of the cylinder-releasing mechanism and the rotation of the cylinder, so that there can be no delivery.

It is important to note that in the operaation of the machine it not only fails to operate when a lead disk is used, but automatically ejects such disk instead of permitting it to pass to the genuine-coin receptacle and that the two coacting locking devices are provided, one for controlling the operation of the: plunger or pusherod and the other for controlling the rotary movement of the ,delivery-cylinder, both by the direct action. of the plunger. These two separate and distinct locks are released successively by a fivecentnickel, the first at the entrance of the nickel-slot and the second near the exit-o ening for the nickel. The nickel is seen in; 'g. 1 as having been placed by the'operator upon the up er inclined end of the key, which partially c oses its'entrance, so that the operator presses upon the nickel, which thereby causes the depression of the key, and thus allows the nickel to be inserted. To facilitate the en trance of the nickel into the slot, the end of so as to attract a steel or'iron'slug or disk and direct it into a drop branch 58 and thence into the same basepassage into which the lead disk is dropped and passes to the front receptacle. 1 This. diversion of a steel or iron slug or disk fiom the path of the five-cent nickel prevents the operation of the delivery cylinder. It Will be understood that the several passages for the nickels and for the slugs are narrow channels, through which the nickels and slu s roll edgewise.

Except or the purposes of the combina tions hereinafter set forth in the claims, we do not in the Letters Patent to be issued on this application claim the inventions in the coin-actuated mechanisms for vendin articles shown and described herein, as sue matters and inventions are shown, described, and made the subject of claim in an application filed by us of date November 24, 1904, under Serial No. 234,033, and of which this is a divisional application and in Which the claims are for the fraud-preventive feature and coacting mechanisms disclosed in said parent application.

We claim 1. in a coin-actuated mechanism for vending-macln'nes, means for preventing the use of lead disks to actuate the machine comprising a plunger, coin-controlled locking means therefor, a dog pivctally mounted in the path of the plun er and adapted to impale said lead disk, a atch pivoted in the. path of said lead disk below the plunger, a weighted dog automatically maintaining said latch as a rest for the lead disk, and means connecting the plunger and said latch whereby the retracting movement of the plunger pulls the latch from'under the lead disk for the purpose stated.

2. In av ccincontrolled mechanism for vending-machines, mechanism for preventing the use of lead disks to actuate the machine comprising a plunger, coin-controlled locking mechanism therefor, a-dog pivotally mounted in the path of the plunger and ada ted to impale said lead disk, a latch pivote in the path of said lead disk below the plunger as a rest for the lead disk, a weighted dog to automatically maintam said latch in its position as a rest, an arm pivotally mounted on the lunger and adapted to engage said latch w ereloy it is tripped from its supporting position by the retracting position of the plunger.

8. In a coin-controlled mechanism for vending-machines, a plunger, a coin-controlled locking device therefor, a dog pivotally mounted in the path of the plunger and adapted to impale said lead disk, a latch pivoted in the path of the lead disk below the plunger as a rest for the lead disk, a Weighted dog automatically maintainingsaid latch in its position as a rest, the said disk lead heing impaled on the dog by the forward movement of the plunger and the said latch tripped by the retracting movement of the plunger, and means connecting the plun er and latch for effecting the tripping of the atter.

4. in a coin-controlled mechanism for vending-machines, a plunger, means automatically locking the. plungerin its normal position, means controlled by the coin to automatically release said lock and to maintain such release, means automaticall to trip said locking device from its release position by the inward movement of the plane ger, a pivoted coin-support below the path of the plunger, means automatically maintainin said support, and means automatically releasing said support by the outward move ment of the I lunger for the urpose stated. fill-IN HElNRl H. JOHN SCHMIDT. I I CARROLL L. ETHERIDGE. Witnesses:

F. W. FRANKLIN, CARR-1n E. CARDWELL. 

